Attachment eor lantebns



L. D. LA REICE.

ATTACHMENT FOR LANTERNS. APPucATloN FILED SEPT, 10, 1915.

llll/a/R 120@ WMM/wom sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

LEE D. LA BEIGE, OF HAVRE, MONTANA.

ATTACHMENT FOR LAN TEENS.

Application filed September 10, 1915.

To all 'aU/0m t may concern.' o

Be it known that I, LEE D. LA 'REICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Havre, in the county of Hill and State of Montana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Lanterns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an attachment for lanterns of the kind commonly used by railway flagmen, the primary object of the invention being to provide a device of this' character which may be applied to any ordinary lantern, and by means of which a number of torpedoes and fusees may be carried by the fiagman with ease and convenience.

A further object of the invention is to provide a carrying device which may be inexpensively manufactured and sold at a low cost.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts herein fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 ,is a perspective view showing two of the fusee carriers as applied to a signal lantern for use. Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the lantern frame showing the mode of application of the device. F ig. 3 is a rear perspective view of the device as it appears prior to application. Fig. l is a front perspective view of the same.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the wire frame of a lantern of the type described, provided with ears 2 to which the bail handle 3 is pivotally attached, the lamp being provided with the usual top piece 4;, adapted to be opened to permit access to the burner, whereby the lamp may be lighted.

The'fusee carrier or holder 5 is preferably formed of sheet metal, and comprises a vertically disposed body portion 6 having top and bottom portions 7 and 8 bent outwardly at right angles therefrom. The saidbody portion 5 is provided with upper and lower sets of integral bendable tongues or clasps 9 and 10, formed by displacing portions of the sheet metal. These clamps are arranged in pairs, the clasps 9 of the upper pair are bent over and into engagement with the upper cross bar of the lantern frame on opposite sides of the adjacent ear 2 and under the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

Serial No. 50,024.

top portion 5, while the lower tongues or clasps 10 are bent around the middle horizontal bar of the frame, whereby the device is iirmlysupported in position. This construction adapts the carrier or support to be attached to any ordinary type of lantern having a frame of the character described.

, The upper right angular end portion of the supporter is provided with a pair of oblong openings 1l for the reception and passage of the upper ends of a pair of fusees l2, the lower ends of which are arranged to rest upon the arms of the preferably forked lower right angularly bent portion 8, which is provided with openings 13 to receive the spikes 12 of the fusees 12, by which the fusees are held in position, in such a manner that they may be carried with and upon the lantern and removed therefrom for use when desired. For the convenience of the flagmen, one of these holders or supporters is secured on each side of the lantern frame, thus allowing a conventional number of fusees to be carried with ease and facility. As shown, the angular top portion 7 of each carrier or holder is provided with a series of slots or openings 14, four being shown in the present instance, whereby a corresponding number of torpedoes 15 may be supported upon each carrier. A spring 15 is provided upon the portion 7 to hold the fusees in position against any possibility of accidental displacement.

The ordinary equipment `of a flagman consists of a red light, a white light, four fusees and eight torpedoes. On account of the number of pieces to be carried, the transportation of these articles is diiiicult and annoying, particularly in inclement weather. Furthermore, under the usual practice of the flagman carrying the lantern, fusees and torpedoes in an unsystematic manner, difficulty is experienced by the flagman in boarding a signal train which has slowed down to take him up, as he has only one hand free to catch hold of the grab irons and vis liable to be injured by the train or the spikes of the fusees while he is boarding the train. In order to overcome this difficulty and danger, a ilagman frequently throws away expensive fusees in order that he may board the train with greater ease and with less danger. The device also enables the flagman to carry all of his equipment and to have both hands free to board the train, the advantages of which will be manifest.

I claim:-

1. A torpedo and fusee holder for attachment to lanterns comprising a body having upper and lower forwardly projecting usee and torpedo supporting portions, a pair of vertically disposed spaced clasps upon the lower portion of said body to engage the intermediate horizontal ring member of the frame oi' a lantern, and a pair of spaced engaging members upon said body portion above said clasps, said engaging members extending at an upward and outward angle from the rear face of said body portion so as to extend beneath the ,inclined hood of the top piece of the lantern and provided with down-turned portions to engage the upper horizontal ring of the lantern frame, whereby the device is adapted to be supported in position upon a lantern frame and to be held by the hood against accidental displacement, substantially as described.-

2. A torpedo and usee holder for attachment to lanterns comprising a body having upper and lower forwardly projecting fusee and torpedo supporting portions, said upper portion having a pair of spaced torpedo receiving openings therein, a spring member upon the upper supporting portion for engaging and clamping the fusees in position, and means upon the body portion for attaching the same to the frame of a lantern.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEE D. LA REICE. lVitnesses:

F. S. SMITH, CHAs. A. Ross.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

